Universiade: MSC Lirica, a floating village

(ANSA) - Naples, August 9 - The MSC Lirica is a 275-meter-long cruise ship that weighs about 65,000 tonnes and has 976 cabins for a total capacity of 2,679 passengers and 721 crew members. The ship has officially been made the first one of two that will be used as part of the athletes' village for the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples through the signing of a contract on Thursday. The large ship will be docked at the Stazione Marittima in July next year to host the athletes. MSC Lirica has 4 restaurants onboard, 6 cafes, 2 swimming pools, 2 hydromassage baths, a nightclub and areas for children and teenagers. Those wanting to play sports on the ship can choose between tennis, basketball and volleyball as well as jogging, the gym and the solarium. The ship has a wellness center with thalassotherapy, a Turkish bath, a sauna, massage rooms, a beauty salon and a hairdresser's. Entirely renovated and modernized in 2015 through a 200-million-euro investment, the MSC Lirica ship offers Mediterranean and international cuisine in its restaurants. In this summer period, the ship offers cruises in the eastern Mediterranean that leave from Venice and Bari every week to Greece and Croatia. In November 2018 the ship will move to the UAE, offering longer itineraries of between 11 and 14 nights, with two in Dubai and - for the first time - stops in India. Later, in April 2019, the ship will return to the Adriatic for new itineraries towards the eastern Mediterranean. It will remain there for the entire 2019 summer season except for the period of the Universiade, during which it will be moored in Naples.